This procedure applies to all students taking the ChIR course. It describes only general information common to all host universities.

EMMC-ChIR, ChIR - Erasmus Mundus Master in Chemical Innovation and Regulation

ECTS - European Credit Transfer System

QM – Quality Management

DA – Data Analysis

AM – Analytical Methods

PD – Programme Director

PC – Programme Coordinator

TS – Transferable Skills

PMT – Programme Management Team

RTP – Research theses proposals

RT – Research thesis

Mobility Office/International Office/Secretariat at the host University

Register students and provide guidance to newly arrived students.

Students’ Union/ Erasmus Mundus Students’ Association

Provides information on what is happening on campus to the newly arrived students.

student

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You are advised to gather as much information as possible regarding all the requirements before starting your travel arrangements. Non-European citizens may require a valid passport and visa before traveling to Europe. You should contact the embassy of the host institution’s country nearest to you, and inquire about the procedure for student’s visa application.

You must possess a valid passport. You should make a point of renewing or obtaining it in good time in case it has expired or you didn’t have any before embarking on travel arrangements. A student visa is required for your travel arrangements. You are advised to get information about the visa requirements from the nearest consulate or embassy of the host institution in your country. You should also bring with you your original letter of acceptance. You are also required to bring copies of your identification documents and of your diploma(s). These copies should be translated into English, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese, and must be legalized. Copies of the documents may be legalized at the embassy, or stamped with apostille (Haya stamp).

Before traveling, you will be sent the directions on how to reach the university from the airport. Depending on the host university, arrangements may be made for someone to meet you at the airport and help you to find your way around. You will be sent an estimate of living costs (including accommodation, food and transport) in the host university’s city. You are advised to bring with you enough money to live for at least one month before receiving your studentship. For accommodation purposes, if you have specific requests (e.g. not sharing a room, bringing your family or other special requests), please inform the ChIR secretary as early as possible. Be prepared to pay more for special requests.

If you are an Erasmus Mundus grant-holder, you are covered by the extensive “Erasmus Mundus” health insurance policy, contracted to the Aon insurance company. This insurance policy is valid from the start of your trip to the Host University until your return home after graduation.

You will receive the insurance policy with your name and a policy number. It is important to memorise or to have noted in a place of quick access your policy number as well as the phone number for emergency: +31 (0) 10 448 8260. These are two important things in case you will be needing an emergency assistance. In case of emergency, you should call this number. Aon assistance will organize the necessary hospital admission, evacuation, repatriation or return trip on your behalf.

When making an appointment for a medical checkup or any non-urgent case, call this number too. On the phone you will be asked to present your name and the policy number, as well indicate the city where you are currently living. At the same time you will be asked to describe your symptoms and the type of appointment (urgent/not urgent). Within a couple of hours or less, you will receive a call to inform you to which hospital you should be heading.

Please keep in mind that in most of the cases you will be needing to pay for your visit to the hospital, especially if there is urgency involved. However, you will be reimbursed this amount of money soon after. For this you always need to keep all your appointment receipts as well as pharmacy checks, scanning them and sending to the insurance company info@aonstudentinsurance.com with a copy to emmcchir@ualg.pt .

You should make your own travel arrangements. You will receive the travel allowance on arrival to the host institution. This amount is fixed and should cover your travel expenses. In case you are unable to purchase your flight ticket, please inform the ChIR secretary, and an economy class air ticket may be arranged for you. In this case, you will not be reimbursed for travel expenses.

Registration of new students is done at the international cooperation or mobility office at the host University. Students are advised to report to this office immediately after they arrive during which they will be taken through the registration process. Students must present certified copies of their documents for registration process. Documents may be certified at the embassy of the host institution’s country (before traveling to Europe), or by a notary (using the apostille – haya stamp). Documents must be translated into English or into the national language of the host university’s country. Translation must be certified (this can be usually done at the embassy).

The Host University will help the Erasmus Mundus students find adequate accommodation, either in university residences, if possible, or in private accommodation. This ensures that you will have a place to stay when you arrive.

Each year, ChIR offers about 60 - 90 different modules, organized into five disciplines (D, I, M, A, R). From this list of modules, you must choose 30 modules which will make your study plan. A module is usually worth 2 ECTS credits, and takes one week (42 hrs) of exclusive work from the student. Your final grade of the curricular year will be the mean of your grades for the 30 modules in your study plan.

The general learning outcomes are the objectives that the student must reach in order to complete the first year of ChIR studies. Some of these objectives may only be completed if the student takes a specific module – this is known as a “core” or “mandatory” module. Core modules may vary from year to year, depending on the number of available modules covering each general learning outcome.

You will be provided with a study plan form in which you will be required to mark gainst each module you choose for your study plan. You must choose 30 different modules in order to complete your study plan, including modules from the topic transferable skills (TS). The TS are taken into account as ECTS credits in order to fulfill the 60 ECTS required for the successful completion of the course, but will not be considered in your final grade. You may choose a maximum of 3 TS modules as part of your study plan. You may take additional TS modules as extra-curricular (see below).

When the curricular year takes place in the University of Bologna, modules will be grouped into disciplines of 3 or 4 modules each. Several different study paths are offered that allow you to complete the course. You are required to choose one of these study paths.

You should make your choices for your study plan, extra modules and research topic before the end of the first week of classes.

You may also choose some extra optional modules in addition to the 30 modules in your study plan. These modules are referred to as the “extra-curricular“ modules. However, you are advised to make your choices with precautions to avoid timetable conflicts and overloading yourself with too much work. A maximum of two modules per week are allowed. You should then sign (just write your name), date the form and save your name in the file name before submitting it to the PMT for approval by the specified deadline.

Building your study plan is an important step in your ChIR course. Ask for guidance form the Programme Director in this regard.

The second year of your MSc will consist of an original research project and thesis, which will take place in a different country from the Host University.

You are required to choose your research topic at the beginning of the curricular year, at the same time as you propose your study plan. The reason for this is that you will need to make travel arrangements for your second year, which may include visa applications, so your choice must be done as early as possible. On the other hand, the choice of your research topic may condition the choice of some modules in your study plan, so it is wise to plan both at the same time.

You will be provided with a list of options, and will be asked to choose a minimum of five topics, by order of preference. The PMT will review the choices of all students. If more than one chooses the same topic a selection must be done, based on the background of the students.

The study plans and research topics of all students are analyzed by the PMT. Adjustments may be necessary: in the case a module is chosen by an insufficient number of students it may need to be cancelled, and the students who chose will be asked to replace it with another. Also, if more than one student chooses the same research topic a selection must be done. The official approval of the study plans and research topics is usually concluded in January. It is not possible to change your study plan after it is approved.

Classes usually start in the first week of October with an intensive ‘survival’ local language course that takes 2 – 3 weeks.

Class timetables are available as a Google calendar at https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=e8l7govbncv538g5p1sn3l1ksg%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=Europe.

Each module descriptor lists the textbooks you need. Some of the textbooks may be available in the library; however, you are free to purchase textbooks that are not available in the library.

You will find most materials and information in the Moodle platform. After receiving your username and password you will have access to each of the modules you are registered in. You will be able to download materials, submit assignments, fill surveys and communicate with your lecturers through the Moodle. The link is: http://emmcchir.org/ChIRM24/

Lectures are the presentations of the aims and concepts relating to a particular module to students by ChIR Professors. A student should not take more than 20 hrs of classes per week. Attendance to all lectures of the modules in your study plan is mandatory. Don't forget to sign the attendance list for each class! Any absence must be duly justified to the lecturer and the PD. If you expect to miss one class, you should notify the PD in advance. Failure to comply with this may result in failing the module.

Classes take place typically from the beginning of October to the end of June. During July you should complete assignments and exams, and in the beginning of September you are required to be present at the research Host University to start your research project. So you have one month of holidays break in August.

Typically there are additional breaks in Easter and Christmas. The duration and dates of these breaks depend on each Host University. Beware that there may be classes on the dates that are usually considered holidays, both national and religious holidays of the host country. If you must observe religious holidays and will miss classes, please notify the lecturer and the PD in advance. You will be allowed to miss such classes, but you will be evaluated the same way as the other students.

Depending on the specific modules that you choose to build your study plan, you may find that your calendar has some weeks with no classes. Please note that these will not be holidays: you will have home study and assignments to complete. Do not plan to travel during these weeks, as the calendar for some modules may change and you may need to cancel your travel plans or fail the module.

Erasmus Mundus grantees are expected to be present at the host university for the whole period of study. You are allowed to travel away for a maximum 1,5 months within the two years of the course, including the Summer break. The remaining time you are required to be in the Host University. Traveling without authorization from the PD may result in the immediate suspension of your Erasmus Mundus studentship.

Because the ChIR is taught by a large group of lecturers of different nationalities, and each country follows a different grading scale, the ChIR created its own grading system. The ChIR scale ranges from 0-100. In addition, the ECTS grading scale is used to facilitate credit transfer and transparency. This scale has been adopted by European Universitis within the Bologna process, and ranks students on a statistical basis, according to Table 1.

Table 2 – Suggested relation between the statistical and absolute scales.

For new modules, when lecturers do not have enough data to apply a statistical (ECTS) scale, they may use the absolute grade and assign the ECTS scale as they find reasonable. A relation between the ECTS scale, the ChIR scale and the national scales in the ChIR consortium is suggested in Table 2.

To complete the ChIR course, you must pass all disciplines (D, I, M, A, R) and not fail more than a total of 3 modules in your study plan.

Students may receive emails from the international/mobility office or student union direct to their email addresses informing them of events on campus.

If you have any queries about student groups or you wish to start a new student group please contact the student union.

On completing the first year of the course, you will be required to move to a 2nd University for the following year for your Research Thesis Project, which you had earlier chosen during the first year. You will be required to obtain a student’s visa and resident permit, depending on the rules of the host institution’s country. The PD of the host institution will assist you in obtaining these documents including your accommodation for the period you will there.

The purpose of the thesis is to give you experience of independent work on research on a unique problem. In order to pass the evaluation, the thesis must meet some requirements as stated in Research Thesis. You and your promoter must in no later than two weeks after work on the thesis commences draw up a thesis contract as stated in TP0206. You are expected to complete and submit your thesis with the mandatory 12 months.

You can only submit to jury the final thesis for evaluations after you have completed and have been approved for the 60 ECTS of the curricular part of the EMMC-ChIR. A date shall then be defined by the host institution for the defense, during which you will present the final thesis to a defense in front of a jury. The defense takes place according to the rules of the Host Institution.

Please remember to submit the Research Year Survey of the ChIR course on the same day of the defence.

If your thesis is accepted by the jury then you get a master degree. Otherwise you will get a certificate based on the first curricular year.

You will receive a Joint Diploma issued by the Universities of the ChIR Consortium where you gained credits, as well as a Diploma Supplement describing all details of your studies in ChIR. The diploma will be signed by at least two Rectors of the Universities of the consortium.

This process may take a long time, depending on the universities issuing it.

The issuing of the diploma will not have additional costs for you and will be sent to you to the address you provide.

On the same day you successfully complete your thesis defence you will receive a ”Declaration of Completion“ from the PD. You can present this as a proof that you have completed your EMMC-ChIR degree, until you receive the official diploma. Please be aware that the ”Declaration of Completion“ is not an official document and should be used only temporarily.

You may request an official certificate from the Research Host University proving you have completed your degree. This is not a joint document, but is more official than the ”Declaration of Completion“.

On successful completion of your master course, you will be required to return to your country in order to use the knowledge you have acquired to promote research and development in your country.

The second part of your travel allowance will be paid following the successful completion of your research thesis.

You have the right to complain on any aspect of the course. Also, your suggestions are very welcome.

In order to be effective, you should know that your comments can be made at three levels:

a) the individual modules;

b) the host institution;

c) the overall ChIR programme.

a) The best way to influence the future evolution of a module is through the module questionnaires. For each module you will be asked to fill a questionnaire for quality assessment. This questionnaire is anonymous, and is extremely useful for improving the ChIR course. It contains an open question that you can use to express both the best and the worst you have found in each module - please use it! The results are delivered to each lecturer in order to improve the module in the future. In case of serious complaints, the PMT may decide to remove or rethink the module.

More pressing complaints should be addressed in the following sequence:

- comments should be first taken to the lecturer of the module.

- If the above is not possible or if you do not wish to do so, then you should contact the local Programme Director, who is responsible for running the course in the host university.

- If this is not possible or you do not wish to to so, you may contact the Programme Coordinator directly.

- If you do not wish to discuss the problem with any of the options above, you may take it to one of the External Examiners of ChIR. The External Examiners are independent from the management of the ChIR project, and they will keep your complaint anonymous if you wish so.

b) Complaints/suggestions regarding the host institution should be taken either to the local Programme Director or to the International Office, depending on the case.

In the end of the academic year you will be asked to fill a general questionnaire that has some room for your opinion on the conditions of the Host.

c) Complaints/suggestions regarding the overall running of the course should be taken to the Programme Coordinator or to the External Examiners (in case you wish to remain anonymous).

For any level, you can take your complaints/suggestions to the student representative, who will present them directly to the Programme Committee.

General Contact

emmcchir@ualg.pt

Programme Coordinator:

Isabel Cavaco (University of Algarve)

icavaco@ualg.pt or emmcchir@ualg.pt

Programme Directors:

University of Bologna

Emilio Tagliavini, emilio.tagliavini@unibo.it

University of Barcelona

Daniel Sainz, daniel.sainz@ub.edu

University of Algarve

Ana Rosa Garcia, argarcia@ualg.pt

Heriot-Watt University

Teresa Fernandes, T.Fernandes@hw.ac.uk

External Examiners:

Alice Newton, anewton@ualg.pt

Isabel Perez, isabel.perezbcn@gmail.com

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Related documents:

M020401 - Module Descriptor

1. List of Modules
2. Study Plan Form
3. Complete Study Plan

T0302 - Management of Complaints and Suggestions

Approved on June 14, 2017, on PMT VC51.